Game apparatus



' A. E. SMOLLEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 467,124. Patented Jan. 12, 1892.

WWW

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

AARON E. SMQLLEY, OF BROOKVILLE, INDIANA.

GAM E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,124, dated January 12, 1892.

Application filed January 19 1891. Serial No. 378,228. (No model.)

bining instruction and amusement.

To this end the invention consists in a game-board in which is formed a central depression suitably marked into separate spaces containing words, letters, or figures arranged either singly or in sentences or parts thereof and flanked by smaller depressions with suitable guideways leading therefrom to the larger central depression, whence spherical balls may be projected into the larger depression and ultimately come to rest in some one of the spaces into which its flat area is divided, thus indicating the letter, figure, word, or sentence to be used in making up a more or less intelligible result of a given number of plays for each player.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1.is-a plan view of the apparatus com plete 3 Fig. 2, a corresponding cross-section of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, showing a polygonal form adapted to the use of a larger number of players.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A designates a flat plate of any suitable material, (such as wood, metal, papier-mach, &c.,) havinga central depression or arena a, preferably circular, flanked by smallshallow depressions or stations B, having one or more inclined guideways 1) leading thence to the arena a. The fiat bottom of the arenais marked by concentric circles and radial cross-lines (or in any other manner) into separate spaces 5, and in each space is printed or stamped a letter of the alphabet, a figure or figures, a Word, a sentence or part of a sentence, or asymbol of any kind. The selection between these will be governed by the main purpose to which the game is devoted, and will be better understood in connection with the following description of the mode of use in certain selected illustrations.

To select the simplest, suppose the spaces contain letters of the alphabet and two or more children are playing, each having aball 5 5 or marble m and the apparatus is placed on a level table. The first player in order takes his ball from its station B and places it in any one of the inclined ways 1) leading from his station. The inclination of the guideway causes the ball to roll out into the arena a, and it finally comes to rest, say, upon the space containing a letter B. The second in order in like manner scores the letter S, and the third and last scores T. These letters being written down, the ingenuity of the children is then taxed to guess words in which theseletters can be employed-as, for example, Boston, best, stub, bistro, tubs, &;c., the child guessing the greatest number of wordsbeing the winner of the game. It will be easily seen that this exercise not onlystimulates the thinking faculties of the child,but increases his vocabulary, perfects his knowledge of correct spelling, and is otherwise improving and instructive, all being based upon and growing out of a pleasant pastime, and, indeed, made part of it.

The analogous use of the apparatuswith I words to be framed into sentences or with numbers to be added or otherwise dealt with arithmetically for older children will be obvious without further description. For youth or grown persons the selected words may have reference to peculiarities of disposition or appearance or relate to the possible destiny of individuals or other accidents or incidents of social life, and the apparatus be thus adapted to use in the pastime of fortune-telling. All these and other kindred constructions and uses of the apparatus are within the purview of my invention.

As prepared for the market the apparatus is handsomely painted, varnished, or otherwise beautified and made attractive, and is 5 packed in a suitable containing-box, together with all adjuncts and printed instructions for use. I may also provide separate detachable cards, differing as above indicated, to form the bottom 0 of the arena, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the scope and capacity of the device may be varied at will by the possessors.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States-- area flanked by ball-stations, in combination with removable bottom boards or cards for the central depressed area, divided into spaces containing letters, figures, words, or symbols, substantially as and for the purpose set forth,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 1. A game apparatus of the character described, embodyinga flat board or disk having a depressed central area continuously flat and divided into spaces with contained words, syllables, figures, or symbols by marks offering l 110 impediment to the free rolling of a ball, combined with one or more ball-stations adjacent to said depressed area and connected witnesses. therewith by inclined ways, substantially as AARON E. SMOLLEY. 10 set forth. Witnesses:

2. A game apparatus consisting of a flat L M. I-IOSEA, board or plate having a depressed central E. HOSEA. 

